Printing calculating apparatus switch means



Dec. 16, 1958 D. L. ROLPH ET AL PRINTING CALCULATING APPARATUS SWITCH MEANS 16 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1955 H M-Hu l Gm New NNN m8 m& 09 4 r EN QM o n m 0 \NN 22096:

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Dec. 16, 1958 D. ROLPH ET AL 2,864,554

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Dec. 16, 1958 D. L. ROLPH ET AL 2,864,554

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PRINTING CALCULATING APPARATUS SWITCH MEANS Filed Feb. 28, 1955 16 SheetsSheet 14 I m I 1 CD I E i U 1 H I 1 0' E LI. 1 A

Dec. 16, 1958 Filed. Feb. 28, 1955 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 SHIP T01 BROWN RETAIL STORES CHICAGO, ILLv GROSS DISC. ITEM QUANTITY PRICE DESCRIPTION EXTENTION TAX AMOUNT I I7 I oo CLAW HAMMERS 2 25 3 oo HAND SAWS 3 IO 2 95 HAND SAWS TRADE DISCOUNT sTATE sAI EsTAx TOTAL OF INVOICE sHIP To: JONES co.

BOSTON, MASS.

GROSS DIsc. ITEM QUANTITY PRICE DESCRIPTION ExTENTIoN TAX AMOUNT I 5 e 40 BENCH vIsEs 32 2 24 0o DRILL sETs I 00 3 I5 6 s ERROR 3 I5 2 5 HAND DRILLS 36 75 TRADE DIsooUNT 3o 56 63 sTATE SALES TAX 4 X, 5 28 TOTAL OF INVOICE I3? 40 sHIP To: sMITH soN PITTSBURG, PA.

A GROSS DISC. ITEM QUANTITY PRICE DESCRIPTION EXTENTION TAX AMoUNT I 4 3750 DRII I PREssEs I 00 2 I0 7 29 TOOL cHEsTs 72 9o 3 I2 4 5 wRENcH sETs 52 2o TRADE DISCOUNT 3o "/0 82 53 7 I92 57 sTATE SALES TAX 4 "/0 7 TOTAL OF INvoIcE 200 27 S U BTOTA L aired; States Ptent O F PRINTING CALCULATING APPARATUS SWITCH MEANS Donald L. Rolph and Robert A. McKee, Hayward, Califl, assignors to Friden, Inc., a corporation of California Application February 28, 1955, Serial No. 490,770

14 Claims. (Cl. 23560.12)

This invention relates to printing and calculating :apparatus and more particularly to such apparatus comprising a printing and a calculating apparatus arranged in combination and operable to prepare invoices to :customers.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved :a-nd accurately operating apparatus operable to print Eidentifying information and items of charge on invoices, rapidly calculate the required charges and print the re- 'quired amounts on the invoices.

A feature of the invention resides in an improved electromagnetically operable multiplier control unit for 1 the calculator.

Another feature resides in a selecting mechanism :control for the calculator.

Another feature resides in the system of control whereby the calculations are performed while notations ;and information not required to be calcuated are being entered on the invoice.

Another feature resides in the readout means pro- :vided in the calculator.

Another feature resides in ,a commutator switch (device. I i

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan View of the printing ,and calcuflating apparatus constructed and arrajng'e' d [in accordance with the invention and comprising a typewriter operable to control the calculator, the typewriter being at times operable under the control of the calculator;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a set of control keys provided in the typewriter of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the typewriter shown in Fig. 1, and shows the commutator switch and the carriage portion of the typewriter;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the commutator switch;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the commutator switch;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of a portion of the carriage portion of the typewriter and with the operating member of the commutator switch supported thereon;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the switch operating member shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective and partly in section of another form of operating member for the commutator switch;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the operating member shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged plan view of an upper portion of the commutator switch;

Fig. 11 is a view in cross-section of the portion of the commutator switch shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged plan view of a lower portion of the commutator switch;

Fig. 13 is an end elevational view, partly in section, -of a portion of the commutator switch;

Fig. 13A is a view, partly in section, of a portion 2,864,554 Patented Dec. 16, 1958 2 of the commutator switch portion shown in Fig. 13 and taken on the line 13A-13A in Fig. 13;

Fig. 14 is a simplified wiring diagram of portions of the commutator switch, and the electromagnetic means provided in the Add Keyboard section of the calculator for selectively operating the calculator;

Fig. 15 is a continuation of the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 14 and shows a portion of the commutator switch, the electromagnetic means for operating the multipler unit of the calculator and cam switches in the typewriter;

Fig. 16 is a schematic showing of the readout switches and portions of the commutator switch in the calculator apparatus, and in a circuit arrangement including the solenoids for operating the typewriter printing mechanism;

Fig. 17 is a continuation of the schematic shown in Fig. 16 and shows the counter dial switches of the calculator and a portion of the commutator switch;

Fig. 18 is a schematic showing of a rotary step switch in a control unit operable to control the operations of the typewriter and calculator in accordance with a predetermined program;

Fig. 19 is a schematic showing the function solenoids to control the usually manually operated functional control keys of the calculator;

Fig. 20 shows the order in which Figs. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 should be arranged to facilitate tracing of the circuits through the various elements involved in the system; and

Figs. 21 and 22 show copies of sample invoices prepared by means of apparatus constructed and arranged in accordance with this invention.

It will be seen that the view presented in Fig. 21 is divided into columns providing for separation of the various portions of the information contained in the bill. For example, the first column starting from the left may be used to provide space for indications of the character of the item centered on the bill. The second column from the left, and which is subdivided, is used for receiving indications of the quantity of items contained in the charge. The third column, and which is also subdivided, provides spaces for indicating the price of the article listed. The fourth column provides a space in which a description or name of the article charged may be recorded. The fifth column, and which is subdivided, provides space for indicating the gross amount of the charge. The sixth column, suitably subdivided, may be used to indicate a discount or tax applicable to the item charged. The seventh column may be used to receive an indication of the final amount of the charge.

In preparing bills to customers and of the type shown in Figs. 21 and 22 and by use of the present invention, the information required to be shown on the bill is typed in its proper place by operation of the typewriter. The calculations, wherever required, are calculated by means of the calculator which can be conditioned to be controlled by means of the typewriter and, in turn, may be conditioned to control the typewriter to make the typewriter type amounts calculated in the calculator.

The typewriter, in accordance with this invention, is equipped with electrical switch elements which are operable to control various elements in the calculator to make the calculator operate to record amounts to be entered on the bill, calculate and make extensions of the items as required, calculate the discounts or taxes applicable to the various items, make adjustments of the amounts in accordance with the discounts or taxes applying thereto, and sum up the charges into subtotals and grand totals, as required, and make the typewriter record the totals on the bill.

The typewriter apparatus employed in this invention may be any suitable electrically operable typewriter having means that may be controlled from a remote point for operating the printing mechanism.

The calculator apparatus employed in this invention EXT NEG EXT may be a calculator constructed and arranged so that the selectively operable members for controlling the entering of values in the apparatus may be controlled from some point remote from the calculator apparatus. culators of the so-called desk type, may be modified to make them suitable for use in this invention. For example, the calculator may be constructed, in general along the lines of the Friden, lnc. calculator shown in the Priden owned patents: C. M. Friden et al., No. 2,399,917; C. M. Friden et al., No. 2,403,273; and A. B. Machado et al., No. 2,653,765, issued May 7, 1946, July 2, 1946 and September 29, 1953, respectively, and in the Gilman Plunkett application, Serial Number 401,780 filed Janu ary 4, 1954, entitled Calculating Machine.

The calculator used in this invention may be modified in the manner shown in the Gilbert J. Spesock et al. application, Serial Number 412,042 filed February 23, 1954, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application, the selecting slides in the application, which are used in setting the values in the calculator, being selectively controlled in the extent of movement by means of electromagnetically operable stop means controlled by means of switches located in a remotely located typewriter.

In the present invention, remotely controlled means are provided to control the operation of a multiplier unit in the calculator apparatus. The control means for the multiplier apparatus is controlled through a control unit provided between the calculator apparatus and the typewriter apparatus, and a commutator switch unit is provided in the typewriter apparatus to control the operations of the control unit in accordance with a predetermined program and to insure typewriting of amounts in required columns in the invoice. Remotely controlled means also undercontrol of the control unit are provided in the calculator apparatus to control the addition, subtraction and other calculating functions of the calculator apparatus. A plug board is provided in the control unit to facilitate the changing of the program of operation of the apparatus when required, and a functional control keyboard is provided in the typewriter to enable ready control of the calculator apparatus from the typewriter position.

When it is desired to enter values in the calculator apparatus, numeral keys in the typewriter are operated, and the numeral keys used in this operation perform the same function as the numeral keys commonly provided in typewriter machines, but are also arranged to control electrical switches operable to control the operation of selectively operable members in the calculator apparatus to cause the selectively operable members to prepare the calculator for the entering therein of the value represented by the operated numeral keys of the typewriter. If the amount to be entered in the calculator is to be stored therein or added to whatever value is already in the calculator, the ADD key in the typewriter position is operated to close a circuit to an electromagnetic device perable to control the operation of the ADD control memher in the calculator. If the instant amount set up in the calculator is to be subtracted from a value already in the calculator, the SUB (subtract) control member in the typewriter is operated to close a circuit to an electromagnetic device operable to control the operation of the SUB control member in the calculator. Control members Cal- NON ADD CLR ERR DISC CTR TOT the labels of which stand for Extension, Negative Extension, Discount, Tax, Counter Total, Total Clear, Nonadd and Error, respectively.

The values calculated in the calculator are represented therein by the positions of numeral wheels which are conventional in calculators of the character above mentioned. Electrical switches are operated by means of the numeral wheels and, in effect, prepare circuit connections representative of the values calculated in the calculator. The values represented in the electrical switches for the numeral wheels can be, in effect, read out of the calculator and used to control the operation of electromagnetic devices operable to make the typewriter type the values calculated in the calculator. In type writing the values on the invoice, the values must appear in predetermined columns and in putting informa tion into the calculator the values should be entered in predetermined ordinal positions. For example, the units, tens, hundreds, etc. positions, and the positioning of the information is controlled at the typewriter position by means of the usual tab keys provided on the typewriter, and. by a commutator switch mounted on the typewriter.

The commutator switch comprises spaced contacts and conductor strips and is mounted on the typwriter and used as a switch control means between the dial switches of the calculator apparatus and the multiplier unit of the calculator apparatus and between the carriage tabulating means of the typewriter and the control unit in the printing and calculating apparatus units. Some of the conductor strips above mentioned serve in the nature of collector rings in the commutator switch. The step switch energizing points in the control unit are programmed to place plus potential on the energizing slip ring conductor strips of the commutator switch, the carriage wiper contacts of the commutator switch are arranged to move with the carriage of the typewriter in a predetermined order and operate to prepare circuits between the energized conductor strips and their respective spaced contacts, operating members of the commutator switch being carried on the carriage of the typewriter while other portions of the switch are supported in a fixed position.

A control unit involving the rotary step switch and multicontact relays is provided between the typewriter and the calculator to enable control of the calculator by the typewriter, and control of the typewriter by the calculator.

As shown in Fig. l, the apparatus of this invention comprises a typewriter 100, a calculator 200, a control unit 300 and a commutator switch 400, the latter of which is secured to the typewriter 1100.

The typewriter 10%, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises an apertured casing 101, the usual manually operable set of letter character keys 102, the set of functional keys 103, the space bar 104 and the set of numeral keys 105. The movable carriage 106 is of the conventional type found in electrically operated typewriters of the general form shown.

Commutator switch The commutator switch 400, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, comprises a casing 4011 supported on the rear portion of the casing 101 of the typewriter 100, a recess M7 being formed in the casing 101 to accommodate the casing 401 of the commutator switch 400. The casing 401 may be secured in place in the recess M37 by screws or other suitable fastening means, not shown. The position of the commutator switch 400 is rearwardly of the longitudinally movable carraige 106 of the typewriter 100 and slightly below the level of the top of the casing 101. Within the casing 401 of the commutator switch 400 are supported spaced contact supporting plates 402 and 403, shown in Fig. 5, and a set of contact supporting carriages 404, the number of carriages provided in the commutator switch 400 depending on the number of circuits required to be controlled thereby. In the present illustrated showing of the invention there are twelve carriages 404, and which are hereinafter separately identified as carriages 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414 and 415, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 'The carriages 405 to 415, inclusive, are slidably supported on the contact supporting plate 402 and are operable to be moved back and forth across the plate 402, as required, to serve as movable electrical connecting means between contacts on the contact supporting plate 402 and contacts on the contact supporting plate 403, the contact supporting plates 402 and 403 being maintained in parallel spaced relation by means of the insulating spacers 417 and 418 supported on suitable screws or holds 419 and 420 which extend through the respective splay bars 421 and 422, respectively, and through the contact supporting plates 402 and 403. It will be seen that the splay bars 421 and 422 may be apertured and countersunk to accommodate the heads of the screws or bolts 419 and 420, as the case may be, and that the lower ends of the screws or bolts 419 and 420 may be in holding engagement with the contact supporting plate 403, the spacers 417 and 418 being disposed between the contact supporting plates 402 and 403 and being suitably apertured to accommodate the screws or bolts 419 and 420. The splay bars 421 and 422 serve as ramps, of which portions supported on the carriages are run to cam movable latch fingers to required positions.

The contact supporting plate 402, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 10, 11 and 13, is an apertured plate 423 of insulating material in which are supported, as shown in Fig. 10, conductor strips 424(A1A), 425(A1B), 426(A2A), 427(A2B), 428(A3), 429(M1A), 430(M1B), 431(M2), 432(R1A), 433(R1B), 434(R2), 435(R3), 436(A2A TAB), 437(A2B TAB), 438(TAB), 439(TAB) and 440(TAB HOLD).

The contact supporting plate 402 may be constructed in the manner of a printed circuit in which the conductor strips are deposited on the insulating sheet material or inlaid in the insulating sheet.

The conductor strips in the contact supporting plate 402 are located along edge portions of elongated apertures 441 to 452, inclusive, formed in the insulating plate 423. The illustration of the contact supporting plate 402 in Fig. is an under surface view of the contact supporting plate, the conductor strips being located on the under surface of the insulating plate in order that each conductor strip may be in slidable engagement with an inverted U-shaped conducting member 453 supported in a carriage, such, for example, as the carriage 415 as shown in Figs. 13 and 13A.

The contact supporting plate 403, as shown in Figs. 5, 12, 13 and 13A, is an apertured plate 454 of insulating material in which are supported in a required pattern, as shown in Fig. 12, conductor strips 455, 456, 457, 458, .459, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 469, .470, 471, 472, 473, 474, 475, 476, 477, 478, 480, 481, 482, 483, 484, 485, 486 487, 488, 489, 490, 491 and 492. T he conductor strips 455 to 492, inclusive, are engageable by pin-type wiper contacts supported in the carriages, ;such, for example, as the pin-type wiper contact 493 supported in the carriage 415, shown in Fig. 13. The pin-type wiper contact 493 is in electrical connection 'with a spring 494 which is in electrical connection with :the inverted U-shaped conducting member 453, a flanged portion 495 'of which is maintained in frictional enga e: ment with a conductor strip 435 (R3) on the lower surface of the contact supporting plate 402. The inverted U-shaped conducting member 453 has a flange portion 495 on one of its leg members 496 and a like flange portion 497 on the other leg member 498. The leg members 496 and 498 are accommodated in slots 499 and 500, respectively, which are in communication with an aperture 501 formed in the central portion of a body 502 of insulating material, the body 502 being the main supporting structure in the carriage 415. The body 502 is a rectangular block of insulating material and has a reduced width upper portion 503 dimensioned to extend upwardly in an elongated aperture formed in the contact supporting plate 402, the top of the upper portion 503 being substantially flush with the upper surface of the contact supporting plate 402. The lower portion of the body 502 is wider than the aperture formed in the contact supporting plate 402 and extends in the form of relatively thick flanges 504 and 505 directly below and in under lapping condition with the under surface of the contact supporting plate 402. Recesses 506 and 507 are formed! in the upper surfaces of the flanges 504 and 505 and are provided in communication with the aperture 501. The recesses 506 and 507 accommodate the flange portions 495 and 497 on the leg members 496 and 498, respec' tively, of the inverted U-shaped conducting member 453,. the flange portions 495 and 497 of which are pressed upwardly against the under surface of the contact supporting plate 402 by virtue of the pressure of the spring 494 which is compressed between the upper closed end portion of the inverted U-shaped conducting member 453 and the upper end of the pin-type wiper contact 493, the lower end of which is pressed against the upper surface of the contact supporting plate 403. At such points 'where a conductor strip extends along the lower edge of an elongated aperture in which the carriage rides, such, for example, as the elongated aperture 452 shown in Figs. 3, 4, 13 and 13A, for accommodation of the carriage 415, the upper surface of at least one of the flange portions 495 or 497 will be pressed against the conductor strip in electrical conducting relation. For example, as shown in Fig. 13A, the upper surface of the flange portion 495 of the inverted U-shaped conducting member 453 is pressed against the under surface of the conductor strip 435(R3) to maintain electrical contact therewith during the journey of the carriage 415 along the conductor strip 435, the path of movement being from left to right or right to left, as the case may be, in the contact supporting plate 402 shown in Fig. 4.

An apertured top plate 509 is secured to the upper surface of the body 502 by rivets 510 and 511, or other suitable fastening means, the head portions 512 of which may be accommodated in recesses 513 and 514 formed in the body 502. Upper ends of the fastening means 510 and 511 may be spun over or otherwise anchored in the respective recesses 515 and 516. Upwardly extending apertured ears 517 and 518 are provided on the reduced width end portions 519 and 520, respectively, of the plate 509. The apertured ears 517 and 518 provide supports for relatively large-headed rivets 521 and 522, respectively, on which the respective latch fingers 523 and 524 are pivotally supported, the latch fingers 523 and 524 being operable to releasably latch the carriage to a movable member 525 constructed and arranged, as shown in Fig. 13, to fit into a space 526 between the inner end portions 527 and 528 of the respective latch fingers 523 and 524.

The latch fingers 523 and 524 are spring-biased toward the positions shown in Fig. 13, by means of the springs 529 and 530, respectively, which are located between the latch fingers 523 and 524, respectively, and the top plate 509. Lugs 531 and 532, extending downwardly from the inner portions of the respective latch fingers 523 and 524, serve to maintain the springs 529 and 530 in place, upper ends of the springs 529 and 530 being disposed around the lugs 531 and 532, respectively. The lower ends of the springs 529 and 530 may be seated in the recesses 515 and 516, respectively, to help to maintain the springs 529 and 530 against undue displacement from the desired and effective positions. Outer ends of the latch fingers 523 and 524 extend outwardly beyond end portions of the body 502 and are formed into the nose portions 533 and 534, respectively, thereby presenting at each end of the carriage assembly, a nose portion suitable for riding up a splay type ramp bar when the carriage is moved into engagement with the ramp bar, such, for example, as the splay type ramp bars 421 and 422, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and which extend across the paths of movement of the carriages 404, 465, 406, 4137, 408, 409, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, and 415, as the carriages move in the elongated apertures 441, 442, 443, 444, 445, 446, 447, 448, 449, 450, 451 and 452, which are formed in the contact supporting plate 452 and are of suflicient length to permit movement of the carriages entirely across the pattern of conductor strips shown as appearing on the upper surface of the contact supporting plate 403, the relative arrangements of the contact supporting plates 402 and 403 being such that the carriages will move across the contact supporting plate 403 from left to right or from right to left according to the direction of movement of the movable member 525, which may be carried on the carriage assembly of the typewriter 1%, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, in which .brackets 546 and 547 are mounted on, and extend from ends of the carriage 106 and rearwardly of the carriage 106 of the typewriter 100'. Secured to, and extending between the brackets 546 and 547, and in parallel spaced relation with the carriage 1436, are spaced bars 548 and 549. The lower edges of the bars 548 and 549 are formed to provide in each bar a row of teeth 550, Figs. 6 and 7. The spacing and arrangement of the teeth 550 may be, for example, such as will conform to the tabulating controlling teeth provided in the typewriter. Adjustably supported across the spaced bars 548 and 549 are a plurality of switch operating bars, the number provided being determined by the number of tabulating switching operations in the control pattern desired. Three switch operating bars 551, 552 and 553 are shown, for example, in Figs. 1 and 3, and since the switch operating bars 551, 552 and 553 are of like construction, an explanation of one will sufiice for an understanding of all. It will be understood, however, that the number of operating bars may be more or less than three.

The switch operating bar 551, shown in Figs. 1, 3, 6 and 7, comprises a relatively long bar member 554 operable to extend across and beyond the space between the spaced bars 548 and 549. Upwardly extending pins or lugs 555 and 556 are provided on the 'bar 554 to extend into space between the teeth 550 on the spaced bars 548 and 549, respectively. Spaced posts 557 and 558 are supported in, and extend upwardly from, the bar member 554 and are secured at the points 559 and 555 to a relatively small plate 561, the function of which is to serve as a backing plate for the helical springs 562 and 563, supported on the posts 557 and 558, respectively. The springs 562 and 563 have their lower ends in pressure engagement with the upper surface of an apertured clamp bar 564, which is movably supported on the spaced posts 557 and 558, and has a portion extending beneath, and engaged by, the lower ends of the springs 562 and 563, and has upwardly extending and curved end portions 565 and 566 extending over, and into engagement with, the upper surfaces of the spaced bars 548 and 549, respectively. The bar member 554 has spaced and downwardly extending tabs 557 and 568 operable to engage the inwardly directed ends of the latch fingers 523 and 524 and serve as the movable member 525.

The number of tabs provided on the switch operating bars 551 to 553, inclusive, may be different in each case and the relative spacing of the tabs may be made in ac cordance with the requirements of a predetermined program. For example, in the switch operating bar 552 there may be four tabs, 569, 570, 571 and 572, instead of the two tabs 567 and 568 on the bar 554 in the switch operating bar 551. It will be noticed that the tabs 569 and 570 in the switch operating bar 552 are relatively close together, the spacing being in accordance with the spacing between the elongated apertures 451 and 450 in the commutator switch 400 and therefore so that the tabs. 569 and 570 will engage and move the carriages 414 and 413, respectively, when the carriage 106 of the typewriter is moved sufiiciently far to the left from the position shown in Fig. 3, to bring the tabs 569 and 570 to the left of the positions of the carriages 414 and 413 shown in Fig. 3. In this movement the carriages 410 and 407 will be engaged and moved to the left of the position shown in Fig. 3 by the tabs 571 and 572, respectively, on the switch operating bar 552.

On the switch operating bar 553, three tabs 573, 574- and 575 are provided, and the spacings of the tabs 573;,v 574 and 575 are such that the tab 573 will operate to move the carriage 412, the tab 574 will operate to move the carriage 408 and the tab 575 will operate to move the carriage 406 when the carriage 106 of the typewriter 100 is operated to move to a suflicient extent and in the required direction.

The switch operating bars 551 to 553, inclusive, may be readily adjusted along the bars 548 and 549 to positions different from those shown in Figs. 1, 3, 6 and 7, simply by pressing downwardly on the plates 561 to release the studs or pins 555 and 556 from engagement in the teeth 55d and by sliding the switch operating bars along the spaced bars 548 and 549 to the new position. Release of the pressure on the plate 561 will allow the springs 562 and 563 to move the bar members 554 upwardly to bring the studs or pins 555 and 556 into engagement with the teeth 550 to hold the switch operating bar in the new position.

In Fig. 5, the movable carriage 415 is at the right-hand side of the commutator switch 400. In the position shown, the carriage 415 has been moved to the right as far as permissible and the latch finger 524 has moved out of the path of movement of the movable member 525 which may therefore continue to move toward the right to some predetermined final point of movement in that direction without stalling the typewriter 100. The release of the carriage 415 from the movable member 525 is accomplished by virtue of the splay type ramp bar 421 and the latch finger 524, the nose portion 534 having a receding sloping portion 576 which is operable against the upwardly sloping surface 577 of the splay type ramp bar 421, which operates to cam the nose portion 534 upwardly and therefore move the inner end portion of the latch finger 524 downwardly below the path of movement of the movable member 525 which is representative of any suitable movable member, such, for example, as one of the tabs 567 to 575, inclusive. Movement of the movable member 525 to the left of the position shown in the right-hand portion of Fig. 5, will result in move ment of the carriage 415 in a left-hand direction until the nose portion 533 of the latch finger 523 with its receding sloping portion 578, comes into engagement with, and runs up on, the upwardly sloping surface 579 of the splay type ramp bar 422. The downward movements of the inner end portions of the latch fingers 523 and 524 is against the actions of the springs 529 and 530, respectively, which are constantly trying to keep the inner ends of the latch fingers 523 and 524 elevated to their highest permitted position, which are controlled by virtue of the shoulders 580 and 551 formed on the latch fingers 523 and 524, respectively, the shoulders 580 and 581 being operable to engage an adjacent end portion of the body 

